This page is a compendium of items of interest - news stories, scurrilous rumors, links, academic papers, damnable prevarications, rants and amusing anecdotes - about LAUSD and/or public education that didn't - or haven't yet - made it into the "real" 4LAKids blog and weekly e-newsletter at http://www.4LAKids.blogspot.com . 4LAKidsNews will be updated at arbitrary random intervals.

Saturday, February 28, 2009

PARENTS ♥ Mrs. ThomasLA Times photo by Mel Melcon TAFT HIGH RALLY: Steven Lazarek, a campus safety worker at Taft High School in Woodland Hills, holds up a sign at a rally in support of Principal Sharon Thomas, who was among six employees reassigned this week for allegedly not reporting a hazing incident in a timely matter.

CHATSWORTH HIGH CANCELS FALL PLAY, BUT SPIRIT LIVES ON IN YOUNG ACTORSPicking up the threads of 'Quilters' Sandy Banks | LA TIMES COLUMNIST February 28, 2009 - The Chatsworth High School drama program boasts an illustrious list of movie alums: Oscar winner Kevin Spacey, action hero Val Kilmer and Emmy Award-winning actress Mare Winningham. But a look at a recent school newsletter shows just how far the program has fallen since Spacey and Winningham played

Opinion: INNOVATION WILL DRIVE NEW FEDERAL FUNDING FOR EDUCATIONBy Ted Mitchell and Reed Hastings | Special to the San Jose Mercury News 02/27/2009 -- The passage of the stimulus bill last week instantly doubled the federal role in funding schools, with an unprecedented influx of $95 billion. The question is, in education, what will that money buy? Most of the answer is jobs: fewer pink slips for teachers, and dirt finally moving on long-stalled

LET’S KEEP EDUCATION THE PRIORITYBy L.J. Williamson | Opinion in the Daily News 2/26/09 -- I'm a former student of George K. Porter Middle School in Granada Hills. Between my memories of my experience there and the experiences I've had as the parent of a student in the Los Angeles Unified School District, I'm not at all surprised to learn that the administrators at Porter may have bungled an attempted drug sting. The

THE MAY 19 BALLOT MEASURESThe State Legislative Analyst’s Office has prepared a summary and analysis for each of the six measures. The Secretary of State has now posted the ballot summaries, arguments for and against, and other information.

K-12: A NEW FORMULA FOR SUCCESSBy Jerry Large | Seattle Times staff columnist In a new book W. Norton Grubb from UC Berkeley posits that when we link money to outcome we may be using the wrong tools to measure the wrong things. The challenge is neither about funding nor data. It’s beyond numbers …about more compound, complex and abstract factors. Thursday

BEVERLY HILLS ‘OPPORTUNITY PERMIT’ STUDENTS REMAIN IN LIMBOby Seema Mehta | LA Times LA NOW blog 10:01 AM | February 26, 2009 The fate of nearly 500 "opportunity permit" students -- those who live outside Beverly Hills but attend the city's prestigious schools -- remains uncertain. Trustees of the Beverly Hills Unified School District agreed Tuesday not to issue any new opportunity permits. But during their five-hour meeting, trustees could not

Cortines: “UNITE, TAKE OVER THE SCHOOLS”Opinion By Bill Boyarsky | http://www.jewishjournal.com February 25, 2009 -- Los Angeles Schools Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines has a strong message to Jewish parents and others nervously considering public school education for their children — unite and take over the schools. “They have done this in the past,” he said. I interviewed Cortines recently about a subject of great importance to

BUDGET SHORTFALL THREATENS ACADEMIC DECATHLONBy Rachel Heller | www.jewishjournal.com February 25, 2009 -- It’s 11:30 a.m. on an overcast Saturday, and high school juniors Dakota Glueck and Jimmy Biblarz are sitting on their desks in a second-floor classroom, counting how many species of fruit flies they can name. Somewhere after D. melanogaster, the shaggy-haired teens get stuck on a multi-syllabic word and furrow their brows. “I

Countdown: THE COMING BALLOT FIGHT + CONSTITUTIONALLY UNCONVENTIONALSacBee CAPITOL Alert | Shane Goldmacher The political establishment is already starting to gear up for the budget-centric special election on May 19. Here are the budget measures that will be on that ballot: Proposition 1A: Implements a spending cap based on the rate of growth from the last 10 years. If approved, it would extend the length of the taxes approved by the Legislature.

VAN NUYS HIGH MUSIC TEACHER HONORED AS INSPRITATION (Sic)…and apparently spelling doesn’t count at the Daily News! By Dennis McCarthy, Columnist | Los Angeles Newspaper Group 02/21/2009 When producers of the 1995 hit movie "Mr. Holland's Opus" and its star, Richard Dreyfuss, were looking for a young, vibrant music teacher to model the movie's leading character after, they stopped by Robert Eisenhart's music class at Van Nuys High School. They sat

UTLA SECONDARY VICE PRESIDENT SPEAKS TO WEARY TEACHERSLauren Mendoza| USC ANNENBERG February 19, 2009 10:26 PM - United Teachers Los Angeles' Secondary Vice President Gregg Solkovits tried to ease the nerves of concerned teachers, or as he called them "teachers on the chopping block," at an informational meeting in the San Fernando Valley Thursday just a week after teachers rallied against budget cuts to education. "We can't predict the

la times photo by Mel Melcon

TAFT HIGH RALLY: Steven Lazarek, a campus safety worker at Taft High School in Woodland Hills, holds up a sign at a rally in support of Principal Sharon Thomas, who was among six employees reassigned this week for allegedly not reporting a hazing incident in a timely matter.

The school's December bulletin offered kudos to the band, drill team, girls golf and volleyball squads; announcements about the tutoring schedule and college visits; and solicitations for a poster contest.

It ended with this line: "Due to unfortunate circumstances, CHS Drama production of "Quilters" has been postponed. . . ."

Translation: The drama program was so broke that the fall play was canceled for the first time in the school's history.

::

Walt McDowell has taught drama for 21 years, 15 of those at Chatsworth High. He's weathered budget troubles before.

But when he couldn't afford to pay the custodian to lock up the campus after weekend rehearsals last fall, he knew it was time to throw in the towel on the show.

His annual budget -- which includes putting on a spring play, a variety show and transporting students to two drama competitions -- is only $600.

"I know every other school is in the same situation," McDowell told me. "And it's not just a question of dollars."

He's right. A cavalcade of circumstances has pushed drama programs to the bottom of educational priorities.

In elementary schools, the narrow focus on math and reading means fewer school plays and less time for the arts. In middle schools, budget cuts have eliminated theater field trips.

"So kids grow up with no exposure to live theater," he said. And though his five drama classes are full, "the audience for our work is dwindling. We used to have sold-out shows. Now we average about 100 people a performance."

On Wednesday, I visited McDowell's class, on the edge of the San Fernando Valley campus, near the athletic field where the school's best-known commodity -- its nationally ranked baseball team -- practices. Needless to say, that team's spring games are packed.

This recent squeeze on the drama department frustrates parents who see their children devote as much energy and commitment on the stage as other kids do on the field.

"We get one bus a year, to take the kids to competition," said Sandy Wood, a parent who doubles as choreographer. "The sports teams get buses every week."

But if the theater program has lost its luster, the students don't appear to notice. Or maybe they're just really good actors. I wandered through groups of students practicing for an upcoming Shakespeare competition. I can't remember the last time I saw so many kids working so hard -- and having such fun -- on a high school campus.

I bumbled through a couple questions about how they think they are perceived by classmates, trying not to use the phrase "drama geeks."

"Go ahead and say it," said Michelle De La Cruz, a 12th-grader directing three classmates in a "Romeo and Juliet" scene. "We're eccentric," she said, making air quotes with her fingers.

It turns out the drama program draws the kind of kids you find on every campus. "We've got the Aca-Deca kids, football players, a wrestler," she said, ticking them off. "We had a cheerleader one year, even."

I spot a girl who used to play soccer with my daughter. She quit because she never really found that magical combination of camaraderie and teamwork that sports teams are supposed to deliver.

Now a senior, Samantha Sterns has 18 piercings, an incandescent smile and a home among the drama geeks.

"We've got a lot of preppy people," she said. "Some like rock. Some like R&B. But we all listen to show tunes, and totally rock out.

"We're not a sport, but we're a team."

::

The drama program's big fund-raiser is next week -- a Friday night music and variety show, with dinner included for $10.

On Thursday, the parent booster club -- all 10 of them -- met to finalize their volunteer assignments.

The teacher made the grocery list: Six pounds of pasta from Costco, 10 bags of salad. Meatballs, salad dressing and marinara sauce. The moms pledged their crockpots and chafing dishes. A student's grandmother will work the ticket booth. The teacher's wife will make her famous cherry cheesecake. And everyone, it seemed, will bring a dish of homemade lasagna. The students will spend the afternoon cooking and perform at night.

In June, they will debut a rock version of "The Taming of the Shrew," a play that won't require costly props, rental costumes or royalties.

And if all goes well, maybe next year, the Chatsworth Chancellors can afford to present "The Sound of Music" once again.

Friday, February 27, 2009

By Ted Mitchell and Reed Hastings | Special to the San Jose Mercury News

02/27/2009 -- The passage of the stimulus bill last week instantly doubled the federal role in funding schools, with an unprecedented influx of $95 billion. The question is, in education, what will that money buy?

Most of the answer is jobs: fewer pink slips for teachers, and dirt finally moving on long-stalled construction projects. Yet in a welcome and farsighted move, the Recovery Act not only shores up the system, it also invests in fixing it where it's broken.

In California alone, tens of thousands of school jobs are at risk now, and the vast majority of education spending in the bill rightly targets saving jobs and restoring state budgets. In mere weeks, we likely will see school building projects finally break ground, after long delays forced by the shutdown of California's bond authority.

Yet the bill also takes short-term steps toward reform and innovation that will pay long-term dividends, helping to make America's economy competitive again. Reform is an essential element of recovery, because an educated work force is the core of our productivity.

That thinking underlies the $5 billion Race to the Top fund, which Education Secretary Arne Duncan will distribute to states to make critically needed short-term improvements that will lead to major gains for students. Within that fund is $650 million aimed at innovation to begin correcting the sore lack of research and development education.

We claim no special insight on the decisions Duncan will make, but it's worth pondering: What does innovation in education look like?

For starters, the federal government will invest in building data systems, so we can stop driving without a dashboard and see clearly the progress students are making. Most states today, including California, cannot accurately track a student's academic performance subject by subject, year by year, much less week by week. That information is central to smart decision-making for teachers, parents, administrators and policy makers. Such systems will make every education dollar more effective.

International tests prove that American students lag behind their peers in other industrialized nations. In part, this is because we don't ask enough of our kids. The Race to the Top fund encourages states to develop rigorous, internationally benchmarked college- and career-ready standards as well as thoughtful assessments that go beyond filling in bubbles.

But kids in failing schools need more than just rigorous standards and assessments; they need schools that work better. Toward that end, the recovery bill includes a "Grow What Works" fund that will expand innovative programs proven to make a real difference for low-income kids.

That approach will help to scale up organizations and ideas that come from both inside and outside the traditional system. Organizations like KIPP, Teach For America and Aspire Public Schools have helped to blaze this trail, creating outstanding public schools and putting thousands of great teachers in the classroom; this funding will help scale up organizations in that mold. The ideas could range from new pathways for teacher training to public-private partnerships that fix failing schools. What they will have in common is a track record of improving education.

After decades of under-investment in innovation, this badly needed funding will foster new technologies, alter classrooms and, ultimately, help reverse the slide in our international competitiveness. It's more than just rescuing the schools that got us to where we are today. To fuel a lasting recovery, we have to build a system that works better.

Ted Mitchell is the chief executive officer of the San Francisco-based philanthropy NewSchools Venture Fund and the president of the California state board of education. Reed Hastings is the founder and CEO of Netflix and a former member of the California state board of education. They wrote this article for the Mercury News. Both are charter school advocates.

By L.J. Williamson | Opinion in the Daily News

2/26/09 -- I'm a former student of George K. Porter Middle School in Granada Hills. Between my memories of my experience there and the experiences I've had as the parent of a student in the Los Angeles Unified School District, I'm not at all surprised to learn that the administrators at Porter may have bungled an attempted drug sting.

The principal at my son's elementary school is fond of repeating, "Safety is my No. 1 priority."

Of course safety is important to a learning environment; children can't learn if they don't feel safe. Yet school administrators often let their primary responsibilities as educators take a back seat to a sense of themselves as something akin to police operatives.

If Porter's officials suspected illegal activity, instead of trying to play at being undercover cops, as was alleged, and attempting to employ an innocent child as a narcotics officer, they should have immediately involved the real authorities.

This sort of thing is the reason we have an entire school police force: so that administrators can hand over these sorts of problems and get back to the business of educating.

Yet LAUSD's policies too often encourage school principals to treat their campuses as their own little fiefdoms, making and enforcing rules at will. Often times the results are ill-advised.

In the past, I've even had administrators at my son's school quote rules to me, which, when I attempted to verify them, turned out to be nonexistent. Yet if those fabricated rules suited the administrators' needs at a given moment, that meant that the administrator's word was as good as law.

During my days at Porter, I often felt that school officials treated students with a lack of respect, and acted more in the arrogant manner of an autocratic regime instead of the way in which those who hold the education and development of young people as their primary interest should. Of course, I was a frustrated 14-year-old at the time, so no one would listen to me.

Now that I'm 40, it's gratifying to learn that perhaps my suspicions weren't just pointless adolescent angst and that, sometimes, if school administrators overstep their boundaries, there are consequences.

L.J. Williamson is a freelance writer living in Granada Hills. Readers may contact her via her website at www.ljwilliamson.com

●●smf’s 2¢: Ms. Williamson's son’s principal is correct: Safety is correctly the principal’s, classroom teacher’s and school district’s # 1 priority. That being said the alleged shenanigans and amateur undercover policework is absolutely inexcusable. Putting a student – innocent or not - in the position of undercover narc – if it happened – is criminal endangerment.

LA Schools to Lay Off Thousands

Washington, Feb 28 (Prensa Latina) The Los Angeles Education Council of the United School District of California (LAUSD) predicts 10,000 layoffs by March 15.

The number could be higher considering workers who are classified, said Megan Reilly, financial head of LAUSD told the California paper, La Opinion.

Among the certified workers who may be notified next month are trainers, service support staff, teachers and about 2,800 administrative personnel, Reilly explained.

These cuts are devastating for students and workers alike because many families depend on these jobs, expressed a spokeswoman for classified workers, Blanca Gallegos.

For her part Marguerite LaMotte, the only African American representative on the education council expressed her concern over the reorganization of the district.

They may take advantage of the moment to “lay off people of color,” and we must try this with as much equality and effectiveness possible, LaMotte indicated.

In the meantime David Tokofsky of the Association of Administrators of Los Angeles, criticized the step being taken in the district after President Barack Obama approved an incentive package.

Reilly explained that until they know what money would come in as an incentive plan projects will not be taken into account since there is still uncertainty about funds and the flexibility in expenditures.

The director of LAUSD, Ramon Cortines pointed out that the California Department of Education indicated that these funds could arrive in three weeks.

By Jerry Large | Seattle Times staff columnist

In a new book W. Norton Grubb from UC Berkeley posits that when we link money to outcome we may be using the wrong tools to measure the wrong things. The challenge is neither about funding nor data. It’s beyond numbers …about more compound, complex and abstract factors.

I asked him why he thought his book was different from the annual avalanche.

"There are a couple of puzzles in education reform that have never been solved," he said. His book addresses them.

"First, why is it so difficult to link money to outcomes?" There are lots of examples of programs that spend more money without getting better results, he said.

Second, what works? If more money isn't the answer, what is?

Grubb says money is important, you need a basic level of it, but there are other resources that affect outcome.

A huge problem in education reform is that people get stuck arguing about money and class size, class units, teacher credentials, and test scores — things that can be reduced to numbers and easily measured.

What gets left out are critical attributes that are more difficult to get at, "compound, complex and abstract" factors.

Those include teaching approaches, school culture and stability, tracking systems. Resources that he says must be "constructed by school leaders and teachers working cooperatively with one another."

Grubb draws his conclusions from studies of schools that have dramatically improved outcomes for their students.

And he makes extensive use of data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, which followed a national sample of students from eighth grade in 1988 through 2000 when most had been out of high school for eight years.

So he had much more than a couple of test scores to go on, and that depth infuses his analysis.

That shows in his discussion of race and equity issues.

The achievement gap actually gets worse as students move through school, falling further behind because in early grades they didn't get the skills higher levels build on.

Many Latino and black students are hurt by ineffective teaching, low-quality curriculum tracks and detrimental school climates. He also cites the way in which discipline is applied, "the tendency to ignore racial-minority students, lower expectations and various forms of disparagement."

All of this is compounded by poverty.

Grubb writes, "In the United States, then, we have created a vicious circle between education inequality and social and economic inequality, each contributing to the other."

Grubb notes that many studies have shown that money and class size matter a little, teacher experience is weakly associated with student performance, but family matters heavily.

That suggests a need for more emphasis on early education and parent education.

That's one of the recommendations a state task force report delivered to the Legislature this session. Maybe people are starting to see beyond numbers.

There is no single magic bullet, but shifting focus from what's easy to count to what really counts is a good first step.

Can money buy high-quality education? Studies find only a weak relationship between public school funding and educational outcomes. In The Money Myth, W. Norton Grubb proposes a powerful paradigm shift in the way we think about why some schools thrive and others fail. The greatest inequalities in America’s schools lie in factors other than fiscal support. Fundamental differences in resources other than money—for example, in leadership, instruction, and tracking policies—explain the deepening divide in the success of our nation’s schoolchildren.

The Money Myth establishes several principles for a bold new approach to education reform. Drawing on a national longitudinal dataset collected over twelve years, Grubb makes a crucial distinction between “simple” resources and those “compound,” “complex,” and “abstract” resources that cannot be readily bought. Money can buy simple resources—such as higher teacher salaries and smaller class sizes—but these resources are actually some of the weakest predictors of educational outcomes. On the other hand, complex resources pertaining to school practices are astonishingly strong predictors of success. Grubb finds that tracking policies have the most profound and consistent impact on student outcomes over time. Schools often relegate low-performing students—particularly minorities—to vocational, remedial, and special education tracks. So even in well-funded schools, resources may never reach the students who need them most. Grubb also finds that innovation in the classroom has a critical impact on student success. Here, too, America’s schools are stratified. Teachers in underperforming schools tend to devote significant amounts of time to administration and discipline, while instructors in highly ranked schools dedicate the bulk of their time to “engaged learning,” using varied pedagogical approaches.

Effective schools distribute leadership among many instructors and administrators, and they foster a sense of both trust and accountability. These schools have a clear mission and coherent agenda for reaching goals. Underperforming schools, by contrast, implement a variety of fragmented reforms and practices without developing a unified plan. This phenomenon is perhaps most powerfully visible in the negative repercussions of No Child Left Behind. In a frantic attempt to meet federal standards and raise test scores quickly, more and more schools are turning to scripted “off the shelf” curricula. These practices discourage student engagement, suppress teacher creativity, and hold little promise of improving learning beyond the most basic skills.

Grubb shows that infusions of money alone won’t eradicate inequality in America’s schools. We need to address the vast differences in the way school communities operate. By looking beyond school finance, The Money Myth gets to the core reasons why education in America is so unequal and provides clear recommendations for addressing this chronic national problem.

W. NORTON GRUBB is David Pierpont Gardner Professor in Higher Education and faculty coordinator of the Principal Leadership Institute at the University of California, Berkeley.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

By Chester E. Finn Jr. & Michael J. Petrilli | National Review Online

February 26, 2009 -- President Obama’s address to Congress is earning plaudits for its honesty, candor, and can-do/will-do/must-do spirit. Rather than just picking out scapegoats to pin our economic woes on, the president took pains to explain that we’re all responsible, that “we managed to spend more money and pile up more debt, both as individuals and through our government, than ever before.” And he announced that the “day of reckoning” has arrived.

Tough talk and tough choices percolated through other parts of the speech as well: health care, foreign affairs, the upcoming budget, and more.

When he turned to education, however, that kind of truth-telling and trading-off of vexing options mostly melted away. Yes, he correctly pointed out that “countries that out-teach us today will out-compete us tomorrow.” Yes, he punched various poll-test buttons with well-timed mentions of “reform” and “teacher performance,” of “innovative programs” and “high standards,” of “achievement gaps” and “charter schools.”

But the thrust of his education remarks was the historic “investments” (a.k.a. spending) he’s directing toward schools and universities — in order to expand early childhood education, make college more affordable, and “prevent painful cuts and teacher layoffs that would set back our children’s progress.”

This is classic Obama, straddling the Democratic divide on education, just as he did so deftly during the campaign, striving to placate both the reformers within the party and the union bosses. As with his approach to nationalizing (or, if you prefer, not nationalizing) the banks, he’s trying to have it both ways. We already know that in the financial sphere this pushmi-pullyu strategy confuses the markets, mystifies investors, frustrates bankers, and costs taxpayers a bundle. So, too, will it fail in the market for education reform. Straddles and waffles don’t work except in gymnastics and pancake houses. Sooner or later, he’s going to have to pick sides on the toughest issues in education. He’ll actually have to decide rather than appease.

If he already has, he didn’t let on. In the course of a generally frank and direct speech, one might expect the president to explain honestly why American education is lagging. It doesn’t need “more investments,” it needs more efficiency and greater productivity — like our health-care system. It’s no accident that our schools aren’t producing enough well-educated graduates; that’s because the system has been designed to place the needs of adults over the needs of kids. But saying any of that would put him at odds with the education establishment, which he doesn’t appear to want to cross.

In the spirit of truth-telling, why not talk about our country’s misguided obsession with smaller class sizes over the past 50 years, which has made education dramatically costlier and gotten us nothing in return achievement-wise? At the same time, our K-12 student population has risen about 50 percent while the teacher corps has tripled. If instead we had simply hired only enough teachers to keep pace with enrollment, we could now be paying the average teacher upwards of $100,000 for the same money. But, of course, that would mean many fewer dues-paying union members.

Why not discuss the pension promises we’ve made to teachers, and how we can’t afford them? Why not talk about seniority protections and tenure rules and “last hired, first fired” policies that keep our public schools from laying off ineffective instructors when times get tough?

In other words, for all the “pain” he’s asking Americans to share, where’s the pain for the education system? What sacrifices is he asking of the NEA, other than to accept the radical notion that some of its members will get paid more money than others? Sure, his budget will propose scrapping a few little programs, and Congress will ignore him. Then what? When will the “day of reckoning” arrive for our schools?

Meanwhile, Mr. Obama and his congressional friends are shoveling $100 billion into our faltering public-education system in the name of economic “stimulus.” One can readily see why this makes superficial sense from a job-maintenance perspective. American K-12 education may not be good at helping children to learn but it’s great at employing adults. Not necessarily employing them productively, mind you, recruiting them effectively, deploying them efficiently, or culling them on the basis of performance. But with 3 million-plus teachers on the rolls, and about the same number of aides, clerks, bus drivers, and other workers, it’s a jobs program extraordinaire.

So if the point is to keep current employees earning paychecks, making mortgage payments, and spending money, propping up America’s public schools is a slam-dunk sure-fire winner. It’s just too bad that, as with the stimulus package as a whole, our children will wind up paying for it. That’s because what they need aren’t more teachers but better teachers.

If we really wanted to “put children first,” we would let our most ineffective teachers go, allow class sizes to rise, and use the savings to pay our best teachers more. In normal times, such an approach would be political suicide, as teacher unions defeat any and all lay-offs. But these aren’t normal times. With states and districts facing major budget shortfalls, it could be a rare opportunity to trim the least effective workers from those swollen rolls. Then, when the economy recovers and school budgets resume their long-term growth, the new money could be used to enhance teacher quality.

That opportunity is now evaporating, thanks to the “State Fiscal Stabilization Fund,” a part of the stimulus that provides about $40 billion to plug school-budget holes. Congress should have called it the Status Quo Stabilization Fund, because it locks in place the same old inefficient, ineffective ways. If schools don’t jettison burned-out teachers and superfluous staff now, they never will.

So first with the stimulus and then with his address to Congress and — we predict — in a day or two with his budget, President Obama is missing opportunities to extract real reforms from the education system. Maybe reform’s day is still coming. Or maybe it’s already come and gone.

by Seema Mehta | LA Times LA NOW blog

10:01 AM | February 26, 2009

The fate of nearly 500 "opportunity permit" students -- those who live outside Beverly Hills but attend the city's prestigious schools -- remains uncertain.

Trustees of the Beverly Hills Unified School District agreed Tuesday not to issue any new opportunity permits. But during their five-hour meeting, trustees could not decide on whether to allow existing permit students to graduate from Beverly Hills High or to require them to leave early. The five-member school board is expected to make a decision at its March 10 meeting.

The district has allowed nonresident students to enroll in its schools for years, in order to boost state funding and to increase their class and activities offerings. But the district is on the verge of becoming a "basic-aid" district that is largely reliant on its own property taxes for funding and will no longer have a financial incentive to offer spots to students who live outside the city limits.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

February 25, 2009 -- Los Angeles Schools Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines has a strong message to Jewish parents and others nervously considering public school education for their children — unite and take over the schools.

“They have done this in the past,” he said.

I interviewed Cortines recently about a subject of great importance to Jewish Journal readers — bringing middle-class Jewish families back into a Los Angeles public school system that many of them abandoned after a controversial desegregation plan decades ago, along with demographic changes that left whites in the minority. The issue has taken on new intensity as the recession is leaving so many families unable to afford private schools.

Cortines said his advice to take over the schools doesn’t just apply to Jewish parents. He said he means it for all parents — African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, anyone concerned about the quality of education in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

I said I knew that, but I was writing for Jewish parents and grandparents, and my interview would focus on their concerns. He understood my parochial interests and was willing to address them.

Cortines called me shortly after I approached his office for an interview. “This is Ray Cortines,” said the unexpected voice on my mobile phone.

He offered to come out to the Westside where I live for the interview. Amazed at the call and the offer, I replied I should go to his office downtown.

Usually, government officials of his level or lower hide behind walls of communications directors, chiefs of staff and counselors. I’ve often had to ambush them at an event for a face-to-face conversation.

Cortines is a slender, energetic man of 76. His eyes are lively. He is friendly and unpretentious and retains something of the warm manner of the elementary school teacher he once was. But there is also a certain distance about him, a boss-like presence that I imagine warns underlings that they had better complete their assignments in a hurry.

Cortines has been superintendent since January, when he took over from David Brewer, a former Navy admiral. Previously, Cortines served as superintendent in Pasadena, San Francisco, San Jose and New York, as well as serving as interim superintendent in Los Angeles a few years ago. He was also the top education adviser to L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Jews, he said, have a long history of activism in the district’s schools. Now, he said, is the time for them to renew their interest.

“I don’t think parents understand how powerful they can be,” he said.

“They have rights,” he said. “Some of us [educators] have taken away those rights.”

“We don’t welcome parents,” he continued. “We [say], ‘We want you to bring the lemonade and cookies,’ but when they ask, ‘Why and why not?’ we think they are meddling.”

We talked about parental fears of children leaving the relative comfort of small elementary schools for bigger middle schools and high schools. Parents are worried about safety and whether the schools will produce graduates who can meet parental expectations of college. How can parents find out about a school?

“I think they ought to go and visit before they reject the public school,” Cortines said. “And they need to go alone and walk around.”

I pointed out that it is all but impossible for a parent — or anyone — to walk into an LAUSD school uninvited. A good reason for this is to keep out perverts, kidnappers, drug dealers and shooters. But security also permits principals to keep out parents — and reporters, as I learned over the years.

Parents, he said, “should make an appointment.” But he also said don’t let the principal “make you wait a month or so.” Insist on an immediate tour.

Parents insisted on change. Even though the recession had not yet struck hard, they objected to ransoming their families’ future to high private school tuition when Emerson — which many of those same parents had attended — was in the neighborhood. Some of these parents were Jewish.

Marlene Cantor, the school board member who represents the area, arranged a meeting between Cortines and the parents at a Westside Coffee Bean. Drawing on the small school pattern of charter schools, Emerson was divided into three small schools emphasizing strong academics, all on the same campus.

“I’ve been there,” Cortines said. “Some of the finest teaching in the city goes on there.”

Not all charters work, he said. “I will recommend that some charters not be renewed because they have not met the standards.”

He is determined to make all principals and teachers throughout the system more accountable for the success or failure of their schools. He has visited more than 60 schools. Before each visit, he looks at the school’s test scores, advanced placement programs and parental involvement. In the past two weeks, he said, he has removed some principals.

Cortines is committed to the idea of dividing large middle and high schools into smaller units on the same campuses. “Very few [stand-alone] small schools have sufficient libraries or computer labs,” he said.

The district is also expanding the number of magnet programs. At present, there are 162, and 11 more will be opened in the 2009-10 school year. These have been very popular with Jewish parents, because they offer choices for specialized learning, often smaller class size and motivated teachers and parents.

Cortines is well aware of the need and the increasing demand for good public school education. Because of the recession, he said, more people are applying to magnet schools and the charters.

Join them. Check out the public schools. Call the principal for a tour. Say that Ray Cortines sent you.

Until leaving the Los Angeles Times in 2001, Bill Boyarsky worked as a political correspondent, a Metro columnist for nine years and as city editor for three years. You can reach him at bw.boyarsky@verizon.net .

February 25, 2009 -- It’s 11:30 a.m. on an overcast Saturday, and high school juniors Dakota Glueck and Jimmy Biblarz are sitting on their desks in a second-floor classroom, counting how many species of fruit flies they can name. Somewhere after D. melanogaster, the shaggy-haired teens get stuck on a multi-syllabic word and furrow their brows.

“I think that’s a cichlid,” Biblarz says.

“No, dude, that’s a fly,” Glueck replies.

This isn’t the first weekend the boys have given over to the study of scientific trivia. In fact, by late January, they and seven other schoolmates at Hamilton High School had been meeting together for almost a year to parse dense texts in biology, history, music, literature and art in preparation for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Academic Decathlon.

Held in two rounds Jan. 31 and Feb. 7, the 28th annual bowl pitted teams from 64 high schools across the district against each other for a chance to represent Los Angeles at the state competition in March and a shot at the national championship. About 580 student decathletes donned game faces and school colors to take part in the grueling Super Quiz event at UCLA, hoping to prove their academic prowess. In the packed bleachers overlooking the competition, the message was clear: being brainy rules.

But Los Angeles’ hard-working pupils might lose this longstanding outlet to flex their mental muscles if funding for the program dries up, district officials fear.

“We’re all under major budget pressure in LAUSD,” said Cliff Kerr, coordinator of the LAUSD Academic Decathlon. “This program is no exception.”

Funding for Academic Decathlon had been shaky even before Kerr took over as coordinator in 2000. At its peak, the district’s budget for the program was about $275,000. Last year, it was about one-third of that.

Even if the district pays for 2010 competition costs, such as facilities and equipment rental, schools will have to buy the official study guides and cover travel expenses themselves — costs previously covered by the district, Kerr said.

“The full impact of what the budget cuts have meant for Academic Decathlon has not really hit the schools yet,” he said.

The program is one of many facing an uncertain future as the country’s second-largest school district anticipates a shortfall of at least $250 million this year due to the state financial crisis. The potential loss of more than 2,000 teacher jobs, arts education and funding for reduced-price school meals has largely overshadowed cuts to smaller programs such as Academic Decathlon, which has become an institution in LAUSD.

Los Angeles teams have won 15 state competitions and 10 U.S. championships since the national Academic Decathlon was founded in 1981. Jewish students and coaches have long helped fuel the success of the district, where El Camino Real and Taft high schools most frequently clinch first place.

“It’s really impressive,” Kerr said. “For a school district that gets kicked around all the time for not doing the best it can for its students, our Academic Decathlon kids are always phenomenal.”

But the ultimate goal of the program is not just another trophy in the case, he stressed.

“You have all these high school kids that are very competitive and very bright, but some of them have not come close to hitting their potential in high school yet,” Kerr said. “Then they get involved in Academic Decathlon, and all of a sudden, something clicks with them. Kids learn that through a lot of hard work and teamwork, they can begin to approach their academic potential.”

One Saturday morning a few weeks before the competition, the Hamilton High School team was beginning its fourth quiz of the day before noon, answering questions in evolutionary biology such as how many genes the first vertebrates had, and what the “Pitx1” gene of a stickleback fish codes for.

Over kung-pow chicken and egg rolls on their lunch break, the students recalled giving up their entire third week of winter break, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., to prepare for testing. The miraculous thing, however, was that they didn’t mind. “We have a great time,” team member Glueck explained. “We have a really good team and we love each other.”

That bond was evident at the John Wooden Center at UCLA on Feb. 7, where the 64 LAUSD teams gathered to face off at the high-energy Super Quiz, the final event of the competition. A, B and C-level students — each team is comprised of three students of each academic level — competed against each other, with seven seconds to answer tough questions on genetics, Charles Darwin’s theories and adaptation.

District officials won’t know whether LAUSD will have money in its budget to fund the program next year until after the state competition March 13-16. “I hope we have a competition, but I have no guarantees or assurances,” Kerr said.

Hamilton won’t be traveling to Sacramento for the state championship — El Camino Real took top honors again this year and will represent LAUSD along with eight other qualifying teams.

But to Hamilton senior Gabe Rimmon, who also takes classes at L.A. Hebrew High School, it was more about the experience than the score.

“I’m glad I did it,” Rimmon said. “You win some, you lose some. I’m just glad we made it this far.”

New parent center at Gompers Middle is a win for the mayor's Partnership for L.A. Schools, but the fledgling program has had its problems.

Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times - Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa hobnobs with parents after he inaugurated the refurbished center for them at Gompers Middle School, a victory for his Partnership program.

By Howard Blume | LA Times

February 25, 2009 - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Tuesday unveiled a refurbished parent center on a middle school campus in South Los Angeles to spotlight his fledgling improvement efforts at 10 schools.

The updated parent room at Gompers Middle School was joyfully received, but his overall effort has hit snags as his team struggles to boost student achievement while also including teachers and parents in vital decisions on how to move forward.

Tuesday was all about the successes of the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, the nonprofit that has managed, on the mayor's behalf, some of the city's lowest-performing campuses over the last seven months.

"We remember the bathrooms that didn't work, the graffiti all over the school," he told the assembled students, parents, dignitaries and others. "This is a new day."

The event coincided with reelection campaign ads for Tuesday's city primary that tout Villaraigosa's education accomplishments. But it was not until late in his first term that the mayor obtained control of a group of schools -- after an abortive effort to gain authority over the entire Los Angeles Unified School District.

Although state test scores won't be available until late summer, the mayor can point to cleaner campuses, tree plantings, community picnics, school uniforms and a policy to have principals evaluate teachers three hours a day. Operationally, his team had to scramble, quickly hiring seven principals and dealing with 35% staff turnover at Markham Middle School in Watts.

Security concerns at Markham prompted the mayor's team to hire four new guards there, leading to a reduction in campus crime, said Partnership Chief Executive Marshall Tuck.

There has been no increased security at other campuses -- although that element is highlighted in campaign materials.

Tuck asserted that the campuses are, in fact, more secure because they are better managed, with classrooms that are more engaging. To date, he said, the Partnership has not had an opportunity to leverage ties with the city to make the streets around schools safer.

Beyond the 10 schools, consultants first brought in by the Partnership played a key role in developing districtwide school report cards and a pilot data system intended to help teachers track student progress.

But Exhibit A this week was the Gompers parent center, for which the mayor's group has provided two computers, a copy machine, furniture and a 46-inch, high-definition LCD TV with free educational programming -- all new and mostly donated by DirecTV.

"This is a remarkable change," said foster parent Nathaniel Perkins-Ali, who likened the center to a "second home."

The $6,000, plus volunteer labor, for the parent room contrasts with nearly $12 million that the district has spent on the school in recent years from bond funds for re-piping, heating, flooring, sprinklers, roofing, security cameras and more.

In relative terms, Villaraigosa has raised little new money. A much-publicized $50-million donation has to be spread out over 10 years -- and must also pay for the mayor's education team. The Partnership, however, has won greater control for schools over dollars once managed by the school district.

The parent center was more about symbolism than dollars spent.

Leadership teams at these schools, for example, have set goals of getting 50% of parents to participate in at least one activity geared toward student achievement between January and June. They're also pushing parents to sign compacts to encourage their involvement.

"Parent participation was never really linked to student achievement," said Ryan Smith, the Partnership's director of family and community engagement. He said that not one of the schools had a functioning PTA.

A little PTA 101 here, and a wee bit o’ history: For a school to have a PTA requires active participation and approval of the principal.

As a plaintiff to the action Mendoza v. Villaraigosa, which overturned the mayor’s attempted and unconstitutional takeover of LAUSD, PTA as an organization made no points in the mayor’s office.

There was a functioning PTA at Santee Education Complex – and one was in formation at Markham MS; the principals at both schools were supporters of and advocates for PTA. At Markham Deputy City Attorney Michelle Mcginnis was instrumental in introducing PTA to Markham.

However with the advent of the mayor’s partnership and the placement of new principals at those schools PTA ceased to exist. Coincidence? You decide. - smf

But some teachers and parents said their role was limited after a promising beginning. The months leading up to the Partnership hand-over were a high note at the Santee Education Complex south of downtown, said English teacher Jordan Henry. "In our short turbulent history, it was the most optimistic we ever felt," he said. But despite good intentions, once the Partnership gained control, "the collaboration disappeared and it became -- and largely still is -- a top-down system."

One problem arose at Ritter Elementary in Watts, where scores of parents wanted to continue a dual-language Spanish-English program. The Partnership recently agreed to form a task force to tackle the issue.

"Since September, we have been struggling for the reinstatement of the program, and it's taken until now to do something about that," said parent Fanny Trujillo. "They seem to be listening right now, but it took three demonstrations in front of the school."

From the start, the Partnership has had to manage sometimes conflicting goals at its schools. Its leaders profess faith in democratic school governance -- which, like democracy, can be slow and messy.

At the same time, the mayor's team wanted to accomplish a rapid, significant rise in student achievement, and hired assertive administrators who believe they know how to get that done.

Teachers union President A.J. Duffy said he remained committed to working with the Partnership, but "I'm not sure leadership of some of these schools understands that if you really want buy-in from stakeholders, you have to give them a piece of the action. This is not the paradise it has been portrayed as in some quarters."

Proposition 1F: Prevents state-level elected officials from receiving pay raises in years when the state is running a deficit.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger hosted a D.C. steakhouse fundraiser Monday. The money went to Schwarzenegger's California Dream Team PAC, which is gearing up its fundraising operation for the budget special election.

A $25,000 ticket bought a seat at the head table with the governor, according to the Associated Press, while $10,000 paid for "preferred seating" and photos. Cheap seats were available for $2,500.

WIGS OPTIONAL: A coalition of left-of-center and good government groups are sponsoring a Sacramento summit today on whether the time has come for a California constitutional convention.

That's an actual possibility afforded under state law that would allow the state to, in essence, chuck a good chunk of its constitution and start over.

As the Bay Area Council, which initially spearheaded the effort, says, "We believe it is our duty to declare that our California government is not only broken, it has become destructive to our future. It is time to repair our system of governance."

SACRAMENTO -- PTA leaders today met with legislators to let them know the new state budget fails to meet the needs of children.

"Cutting billions of dollars from education and children's services may balance a budget but it does not even remotely meet the responsibility of California to educate and care for children," said Pam Brady, president of the California State PTA.

More than 100 PTA leaders, gathered in Sacramento for their annual legislative conference, met with legislators and invited them into the schools throughout California to see how the new budget hurts children.

"The PTA believes the smartest economic recovery plan is to invest in children," Brady said.

Announcing the first step in a campaign to fix the economic gridlock, the PTA calls for:

Removal of the 2/3 majority vote of the legislature to pass a budget;

Lowering the threshold to pass local parcel taxes to a supermajority of 55 percent; and

Restructuring California's school finance system.

"No one should be proud of a budget that drops funding for schools to dead last in the nation," Brady said.

"All children should have arts, small class sizes, counselors, nurses, librarians, and yes - textbooks - and this budget forces communities to fight over crumbs," Brady said.

###

everychild.onevoice.

The California State PTA has nearly 1 million members throughout the state working on behalf of public schools, children and families, with the motto, "Every child, one voice." The PTA is the nation's oldest, largest and highest profile volunteer organization working to improve the education, health and welfare of all children and youth. The PTA also advocates at national, state and local levels for education and family issues. The PTA is nonprofit, nonsectarian and noncommercial. For more information about the California State PTA, visitwww.capta.org.

From the AD 41 E- Newsletter - JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009

State Begins Recovery Under New Budget

The passage of a package of bills that closes a $41 billion deficit has now allowed California to weather a historic financial crisis. I voted for this legislation solely to avert a calamity that would have halted hundreds of state projects, obliterated thousands of jobs, jeopardized Californians’ safety and choked off California’s path toward economic recovery. We must move ahead, although I do so with a heavy heart. During the brutal process of finding agreement among two-thirds of lawmakers, Assembly Democrats sent a letter, signed by Speaker Karen Bass and 33 Assembly members, including me, to our Federal leadership – Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, and to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi – relative to the stimulus package then being negotiated in Washington. The letter asked that $4.5 billion in bridge financing be included for projects that are in line right now to receive state bond funding that is unavailable until we do have a state budget. Getting these projects going ASAP will put people back to work and create new jobs for Californians. It is estimated that for every $1 billion spent, 18,000 jobs will be created and/or saved. Watch for future newsletters detailing the impact of the federal stimulus package and newly-passed state budget on California.

My 2009-10 Legislative Package Begins…

… with groundbreaking legislation to reform school finance. Also legislation to rid our streets, watersheds, and oceans from billions of tossed flimsy plastic bags, to finance new school construction, to help L.A. County raise funds for clean water projects, and to streamline teacher credentialing.

AB 8 – School Finance

Four decades of court-mandated and voter-influenced revisions have created an extremely complex, centralized system of school finance that no longer functions well and is in desperate need of an overhaul. AB 8 will begin that process. Last year, a massive Stanford University research project called “Getting Down To Facts” and the Governor’s Committee on Education Excellence concluded that any significant progress in K-12 education hinges on major school finance reform. Currently, it is nearly impossible to determine how much revenue each school district receives or how those funds are spent. School districts that have similar student populations should receive similar funding, yet we know that’s not the case. AB 8 will convene a working group to recommend an alternative, more transparent and accountable system for school finance that is better aligned to the educational needs of our students. Once that money is invested more effectively through a simpler, cleaner system, we will have the voters’ confidence to approve greater investments in education.

AB 220 – School construction bond

State funds for new school construction run out at the end of this year, yet many children are taking long bus rides because there is no room for them at their neighborhood school. California already anticipates an increase in student enrollment of more than 100,000 just over the next five years. Now is the time to put unemployed construction workers back to work, to take advantage of cheaper building materials, and to ensure that our students have the clean, green, safe and sustainable schools they need and deserve to learn in a globally competitive world. In light of the just-passed Federal economic stimulus package, I introduced AB 220 to place a new school construction bond before the voters. The amount and election date are still to be determined. Facility needs, the Federal economic stimulus, and California’s ability to borrow additional funds without putting the state in jeopardy will all be factors in that determination. The bill immediately won praise from state Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O’Connell, who, I am very pleased to report, said in his State of Educationaddress that he will sponsor the measure.

AB 239 – Streamlining Teacher Credentialing

AB 239 will streamline the teacher credentialing process in California by allowing teachers and counselors who have attained National Board Certification outside of California to qualify for a California credential for their specific field. Teachers who have attained a National Board certificate to teach English learners would also qualify for the CLAD authorization in California. In addition, AB 239 would remove the sunset date and allow district intern programs across the state to offer the education specialist credential. These changes in law will streamline the credential process and expand access to teaching programs in California. In general, the bill will make the credentialing process much more straightforward for teachers coming from out of state to teach in California. It will also increase access to special education credential programs by authorizing districts to offer those credentials through their district intern programs.

Franklin Elementary Training Future Legislators?

On January 23, I had the opportunity to visit with 32 students in Mr. Cannell’s 4th grade class at Franklin Elementary School in Santa Monica. They had spent several weeks studying the legislative process. They broke into groups by subject matter: environment, safety, animal rights and health. They researched bill ideas, wrote bills, and then spent time lobbying their classmates on which bills should be presented to me. On the morning of my visit, before an audience of parents, and with a great deal of poise, confidence and microphone in hand, they presented their bill package to me.

Environmental ideas included increasing the use of solar energy in California, reducing vehicle pollution, and stopping the use of plastic bags (my bill AB 68).

In the Safety category, they wanted seat belts on school buses, and no cell phone use while driving.

For Health, they had ideas related to second-hand smoke, mandatory health insurance, and toxins in products.

And in the Animal Rights category, they addressed the wearing of fur products, unwanted pets, the need for more animal shelters, and prohibiting the carrying of animals on motorcycles. All in all, very impressive for fourth graders.

Following my school visit, Zoe Parcells, one of these students, came up to my Capitol office with her grandmother. It was a wonderful break in my day to have the chance to talk with Zoe, who, along with her classmates, clearly has a very bright future ahead.

Need Cash for College? Deadline is March 2!

2.0 GPA + 2 FORMS + 1 DEADLINE = FREE CASHFORCOLLEGE!

California’s economy depends on its ability to compete on a global level. That means investing in an educated workforce. Yet, some of our brightest young people don’t see a college education in their future only because they lack funds for tuition and expenses. That’s why I teamed up with the Los Angeles Unified School District last month to send out recorded phone messages to 48,214 high school seniors notifying them of this opportunity to get free cash for college. I also had my District Office contact all the other school districts in the 41st AD to offer assistance in getting the word out to their seniors on this important state grant program that is still funded. Cal Grants are one of the smartest ways to get cash for college. It’s money you don’t have to pay back. And it’s guaranteed. If you know a high school senior, recent graduate, or community college transfer student who meets the simple academic, financial and eligibility requirements, he or she just needs to submit two forms by March 2. All the information is available online at www.calgrants.org.

democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a41/ or www.assembly.ca.gov

Sunday, February 22, 2009

…and apparently spelling doesn’t count at the Daily News!

By Dennis McCarthy, Columnist | Los Angeles Newspaper Group

02/21/2009 When producers of the 1995 hit movie "Mr. Holland's Opus" and its star, Richard Dreyfuss, were looking for a young, vibrant music teacher to model the movie's leading character after, they stopped by Robert Eisenhart's music class at Van Nuys High School.

They sat quietly in the back for a few days, taking notes and observing Eisenhart having fun while he motivated and interacted with his young students.

Pretty heady stuff for a rookie 26-year-old teacher who had only been in the profession himself two years. When you're good, word spreads fast.

"I had no idea how big the movie would be or the impact it would have on the lives of so many music teachers and students, including mine," Eisenhart said Friday.

"It looks like we've come full circle."

Yes, it does. On Thursday afternoon, while Van Nuys High's own real Mr. Holland was in class working his magic with the advanced orchestra, Judith Vanderbok, the school's principal, called a timeout. She had a big, surprise announcement to make.

Their beloved Mr. Eisenhart was being given a prestigious national award from the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, which donates new and refurbished musical instruments to schools and individual students to benefit their music education.

Eisenhart was only one of five music teachers across the country chosen for the honor.

The stunned teacher smiled as foundation officials lauded him for "best emulating the personal characteristics and dedication of (the movie's) "Mr. Holland."

He thanked them, and smiled even wider when they handed him a check for $10,000.

Fifteen years after giving Hollywood a few tips on what a real young, motivating and inspiring music teacher looks and acts like, Robert Eisenhart was finally getting paid.

Watching the scene from the back of the music room Thursday was another of the school's music teachers, Brian McGaffey - one of nine former students of Eisenhart who are currently teaching music in the Los Angeles Unified School District. There are a dozen others nationwide.

"If it wasn't for him as my teacher, I probably would have quit music," McGaffey says, watching his mentor's surprise reaction to the award.

"He sacrifices so much to his students, stays at school until 7 p.m. every night for any kid who needs extra help."

"Nice guy?" I ask McGaffey. He smiles and shakes his head no.

"Nice doesn't describe him. Demanding does, but in a good way."

Isn't that what a good teacher is supposed to be, Eisenhart asks later. Demanding. He learned that from his own mentors in LAUSD.

When he demands 11 or 12 hours of himself at school every day, it rubs off on his students. They can see for themselves what success is going to take.

"Yes, I can be hard to work with, demanding, like Mr. Holland," the 41-year-old bachelor says. "I enjoy pushing myself. I like to think the standards I set for myself speak to my students.

"You have to be passionate in this job, committed to it. Bach, Mozart, so many other great composers and musicians dedicated themselves to the craft of teaching."

So what's Mr. Holland, er, Eisenhart, going to do with the 10 grand?

"There's a place in northwest Spain, Galicia it's called, where they have an ancient bagpipe culture," he says, smiling.

"Might be nice to spend a couple of weeks there and bring back what I learn to my students."

February 20, 2009 - Today, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) finally released its twice delayed, two-years in the making, decision regarding whether or not to allow Phase I of the Expo Line be constructed at grade past Dorsey High School and the Foshay Learning Center. The ruling clears the way for Phase I of the Expo project to be completed by 2010.

The result? The five person CPUC panel backed an Alternative Decision written by Commissioner Chong which still requires a pedestrian bridge at the Farmdale crossing near Dorsey High School but only relieves the Construction Authority from building a crossing at the Foshay Learning Center. The ruling should allow for a speedier construction of Phase I of the Expo Line than if they had went with the original suggestion to build pedestrian bridges at both locations. However, they still need to come up with several million dollars to build the pedestrian bridge for Farmdale.

A second alternative was offered by Commissioner Timothy Simon which would have required the bridge for Dorsey High School, but denied the permit to build near the Foshay Learning Center until a new study could be completed on the pedestrian access to and from the Learning Center after Expo is built. Simon even channeled some of the opposition calling the process that has led to the removal of pedestrian concerns for Foshay an example of why minority communities don't have faith in the public process.

A CPUC judge ruled previously that the Expo Construction Authority had to build pedestrian bridges at both Dorsey High School and the Foshay Learning Center but his ruling is considered only a "suggestion" until the panel made its final ruling this morning.

The decision was blasted before it was even issued. The Los Angeles Unified School District, a longtime opponent of the line released a letter slamming the decision making process as "closed door." (see following) Expo Communities United (ECU), the group with which Damien Goodmon is most closely affiliated, released a letter supporting the LAUSD's position. After the ruling, Goodmon told Streetsblog:

...I find it unfortunate that the Commission adopted such a legally flawed Decision. There are more legal holes in the Chong Alternative Decision, than a pound of swiss cheese. Furthermore, the process which led to the Decision will clearly earn concern any actual judge. Nonetheless, we look forward to participating in the now mandatory environmental review process, regarding which of the grade separated options at Farmdale will be adopted. Unlike the previous environmental review process, the community enters the process with adequate legal representation. Additionally, we now more firmly recognize that the only changes that will occur at Foshay or at other crossings along the line, will need to be obtained politically or through other legal courts.

Buried in the text of CPUC's ruling is a summary of the public comment. The document admits that nearly 90% of the comments it received were either against at-grade crossings or against Expo altogether. The early reactions to this decision seem to show that these opponents are not satisfied with either the process or result of the CPUC hearings.

So the question remains, is this the final hurdle before Construction on Phase I of the Expo project can be completed, or is it just another stop on Expo's bumpy ride.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Lauren Mendoza| USC ANNENBERG

February 19, 2009 10:26 PM - United Teachers Los Angeles' Secondary Vice President Gregg Solkovits tried to ease the nerves of concerned teachers, or as he called them "teachers on the chopping block," at an informational meeting in the San Fernando Valley Thursday just a week after teachers rallied against budget cuts to education.

"We can't predict the future," said Solkovits. "We don't know if our school district will chose to make plan to make our schools a priority [but] we want to give you as much information as possible to lower your anxiety."

As the rain poured down in the North Hills, damp teachers filled the auditorium worried about their job security and unknown of what information this meeting would provide them. Teachers from local schools around the Valley gathered in small groups and sat next to each other nervously chit-chatting about their concerns.

Roman Medeces, a Los Angeles Unified School District teacher, said he felt "unsafe" and felt like he and other teachers were being left in the dark of the whole process.

"I'm really insecure and sometimes I don't feel protected by the district," Medeces said. "Everyday it's a new challenge of whether we have our jobs or not."

The gloomy grey day seemed fitting for the teacher's dismal demeanor that hovered over the auditorium prior to the meeting. Even though the union was hopeful there wouldn't be any jobs lost Solkovitz wanted to make sure teachers like Medeces were informed and felt unified through their union.

"We're fighting for a change of priorities in the district. And for the first time in months, there is a sense of urgency on the district's part," he said.

Last Thursday thousands of teachers rallied to oppose education budget cuts at Pershing Square. These cuts are not only expected to increase class sizes but also threaten the jobs of countless first and second year teachers with the least experience. And as contract negotiations continue to be stalled, it only prolongs the problem.

Solkovits congratulated the 15,000 union members that marched through the streets of downtown Los Angeles to speak out against the LAUSD and Gov. Schwarzenegger. When Solkovits asked the teachers at the meeting who participated at the rally, every hand in the audience of 60 was raised as Solkovits and other UTLA organizers clapped.

Solkovits reminded teachers to keep pressure on the LAUSD by boycotting faculty meetings even if there are retaliations.

"Many of your principals have been doing the right thing and just not having faculty meetings because god knows we can't live without faculty meetings," he said as laughs broke out from the crowd. "And you may get a write up. They may start docking you hours of pay for doing it."

Solkovits also asked teachers not to turn in periodic assessment tests to the district as another means to flex the power of unity.

"We are sending a message here, folks. We spend 13 percent of your teaching time giving tests. We give so many tests and it's insulting to us as teachers," Solkovits said. "Our textbooks come with tests, we write our own tests. Why do we have to pay some outside flunky who probably hasn't taught for years to write a test to make us give that has no relevance to our teaching?"

And there has been talk of teachers going on strike during the district's excessive standardized testing period.

"If we got to the point where there's going to be a strike, I'm personally arguing to strike during standardized testing. If there only to force us out on strike because they refuse to bargain in good faith we've got to go on strike in a time that will hurt the district the most," he said.

As teachers dispersed from the meeting they were more informed but still outraged and frustrated with their situation.

Jackie Novack an Elementary school teacher with the LAUSD said she and other teachers have been on a "rollercoaster ride" over the past few months.

"It's been very nerve-racking," she said. "It's really a shame that they are targeting teachers and children."

Novack who taught in another state had to go through an additional credential program to teach in California now only to be concerned whether she'll continue to have a job.

"I finally get to be a teacher, which is really what I love to do and to have that possibly taken away is very stressful," said Novack.

William Mitchell, a second year fifth grade teacher said this extra mess has him stressed.

"It's hard because I just want to be in the classroom teaching," he said.

The final words Solkovits left the group of weary teachers with was to stay strong and united.

"Do not let the district scare you. The stronger UTLA is, folks, the fewer layoffs there will be because the UTLA will say at the contract table you don't cut the classes you cut the freakin' bureaucracy at the main district, cut the bureaucracy downtown first."

Solkovits is the UTLA Secondary Vice President. He has attended schools in the San Fernando Valley from elementary school to college, where he attended Cal State Northridge and graduated with a B.A. in Political Science.

Solkovits is credentialed in four subjects and taught nearly 38 subjects at Monroe High School, including AP U.S. Government and AP Comparative Government. He also served as Monroe's Professional Development Committee as Social Studies Department chair and as an SLC lead teacher.

At the UTLA Solkovits has served more than 10 years as Monroe High School Chapter Chair, more than 24 years as member of UTLA House of Representatives and more than 20 years as member of UTLA Board of Directors.